Free woodland stewardship tour June 21

Tue, 06/12/2018 - 10:15am

Join Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District (KLSWCD) and the Maine Forest Service for the sixth monthly Small-Scale Woodland Stewardship Tour on Thursday, June 21 from 3-5 p.m. at Hidden Valley Nature Center (HVNC) at 131 Egypt Rd in Jefferson. The free field tours, led by MFS District Forester Morten Moesswilde are designed to highlight woodland stewardship and conservation practices of private landowners and are open to landowners, loggers, foresters and others interested in the stewardship of small woodlands. Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson, which comprises more than 1000 acres, practices sustainable forestry and has developed an interpreted Sustainable Forestry Demo Area comparing three harvesting methods: horse logging, cut to length, and mid-scale equipment harvesting. The tour will focus on sustainable management techniques that enhance wildlife habitat and access, as well as stand improvement practices, including pruning and thinning.

The tour will begin at the HVNC parking lot and entrance gate at 3 p.m. Tours take place rain or shine (barring lightning and blizzards), so please dress for weather, field and bug conditions. For more info about the series and to register for this free tour, contact Knox-Lincoln SWCD at 596-2040, hildy@knox-lincoln.org or www.knox-lincoln.org/woodland-stewardship-tours.